Wednesday, November 24, 2010

What I've been up to: Wrote up a piece for Tribeca Film on the avalanche of screeners and the insanity of the holiday season inbetween rush of screenings. Also was buried in avalanche of screeners and rushed 'tween screenings whilst fretting about the holiday. Symmetry! Posting will be light for the rest of the week (it can't be helped: holidays, off-blog duties, etcetera) but December will be robust with excitement.

Until time frees up itty-bitty teeny-weeny reviews.

Black Swan
In which a ballerina loses her shit when she wins the lead role in Swan Lake. 7WR: Thrillingly fuses camp (?) horror and highbrow metaphor. A-

The King's Speech
A new king sees a speech therapist as WW II approaches.7WR: Fussy but somewhat endearing. Unfortunately few surprises. B

Kawasaki's Rose
Czech Republic Oscar submissionabout a decorated psychiatrist who may or may not have been an informant during the Communist region.7WR: Heavy novelistic depth buffered by nimble storytelling. A-/B+

Paolo, in college I lived in a dorm on the same floor as a dance major. Her roommate was a sweetheart and I felt so sorry for her because that girl could have snapped at any moment. She walked like she had a stick up her butt, no exaggeration. I would want to see how that plays out regardless of who was cast. Camp? YESSSS!!!!!

Nat, any chance for Wiest to get a nom? I've read some reviews of RH where Eckhart is mentioned as a contender but so far I don't see it. This is Nicole's/Dianne's film.

"Black Swan" is probably THE film I am most excited to see this year, and I am relieved and happy that you enjoyed it. After reading Sasha Stone's high praise for the film, and Natalie Portman's performance, my anticipation level shot up tremendously.

Nat, do you think Portman could be a serious Oscar threat (although her film has been considered "weird" for the Academy) or is Annette Bening still the frontrunner to win Best Actress (it would be her fourth nomination)? Are we gonna have another match similar to Sean Penn (gay character in an acclaimed Best Picture nominee with social issues) vs Mickey Rourke (tour-de-force performance in a very peculiar film) in 2008?

Black Swan (This could be so FUN. It's Aronofsky, the new Kubrick. And the people who compare Aronofsky to Lynch: He's never gotten THAT WEIRD. There's still an identifiable, if translucent, plot to The Fountain. We'll never know what exactly Mulholland Drive or Inland Empire is about, right?)The Social Network (dialogue play. Fincher knows how to hit as many buttons as possible. He's done, in order, a sci-fi sequel, a straight thriller, a darkly comic epic thriller (how it didn't wind up a pure mess is a marvel), a sci-fi thriller, a single room thriller, the first true life masterpiece since the 1976 movie All The President's Men, a good try at an epic romantic weepy and then, out now, a dialogue play.)I Am Love (erotic movie. Not a personal taste. As I've said before, give me Irreversible any day of the week.)The Kids Are All Right (Just rented. Hoping it satisfies.)and one of the following:

Jeff -- i can't reveal my lineups before the announcements. That'd be like Oscar announcing the nominees before nomination morning! Although i freely admit who i'm thinking about throughout the year. My top three is clear to me though the order is anything but but the fourth and fifth spots are hotly contested. Thank god i have another month to think on it.

jane -- well In the Bedroom has more rangey appeal i think (since it's also kind of a crime thriller). I fear that Rabbit Hole will be too sedate for major Oscar play but I really liked it. I sometimes worry that people have no taste for nuance in movies anymore... they only seem to like that on television now. You can be slow and quiet on tv (see madmen) and win fanatical devotion but in movies people call you "boring".

eduardo 1) great. he's such an undervalued actor2) i have no idea. the supporting actress category is totally confusing me3) Hershey but it's really the Aronofsky/Portman show.

JA -- yay. I wasn't sure at first (and don't think it's perfect) but it's definitely one of those movies that works like the roller coaster. long uphill climb followed by screaming 'i'm gonna die' gleeful insanity

City_Of_Lights - A guy who taught me in high school used to do ballet, like (unnamed) Company and he would talk about people in the national scene who are in documentaries/SYTYCDC and some of them are nice and some of the prima ballerinas would treat the other dancers like Vogue interns. And apparently ballerina parties are the weirdest parties anyone can ever go to. Ever.

Also, Mila Kunis was very good.

And I keep thinking of John Slattery in Rabbit Hole instead of Eckhart. At least Slattery's more level-headed and direct when he's angry.

Nathaniel, I saw Rabbit Hole, The Kids Are All Right and Black Swan and I'm not afraid to say between them the strongest perfomance is Kidman's. Then Portman and Bening in the last position. I don't understand all this love for her perfomance, she's good but not great. Kidman is amazing a deserves to win. Do you think she has any possibility to win or will she be overlooked by an overrated perfomance like Bening's one?

If there's an actress in Hollywood I'd like to see clutch a 2nd oscar, it be Kidman. The fact that she isn't slavishly campaigning and is mre passionate about RABBIT HOLE itself than any accolades she or the film should recieve is also commendable. Sorry to overload on the questions Nat but did you enjoy Queen Dianne Weist as much as Nicole?

PLEASE, no second Oscar to Kidman before Moore has got her first! After 2002, when Kidman got Moore's Oscar, now she'll get Moore's nomination spot! :(

It's unfair, and, yes, I am biased, but Moore's loss in 2002 is still hurting, especially since Moore has been oscarless and even without another nomination ever since. Her chances are becoming slimmer and slimmer, considering her age, lack of great box-office-appeal and the general difficult state of financing independent movies. She had her bad years in 2004-2007 (like Kidman), but in 2008 she got her groove back... but no more nominations.

I presume they'll wait for another big dramatic performance (a la "Far from Heaven") to give Moore the Oscar she should have won for the Todd Haynes film (too bad she lost the Oscar that year, although I really liked "The Hours").Nat, is "Black Swan" as weird as "Mulholland Drive"? Do you think Annette is still the frontrunner in the Best Actress race?

God I can't wait to see Black Swan! I think this could be the one for Natalie Portman! And it's nice to read from those brief seven-word reviews that Black Swan, Rabbit Hole, and The King's Speech didn't disappoint.

Stefano -- like with Pfeiffer, I've given up on Moore winning the Oscar. There comes a point in careers where once they past that point, the person will just have to wait for an honorary (which are also nearly impossible to get). For the women especially if they don't reward you in your 30s or early 40s, the chances are slim. It's sad but it's statistically how they play.

If Bening doesn't win this year, I think she'll have to stay Oscarless too.

I've spent my whole life trying to make peace with the huge number of awesome women that are denied the gold statues versus the lesser women who have them (it's MUCH worse than with the male actors for the talent to Oscar disparity) and I think i'm finally getting to the point where I'm like "okay, that's just how it is."

MikeyMike -- i don't think HBC is going to win. But I think the film's heat will definitely pull her to a nomination.

Sean C -- no but it's really Nicole Kidman's show. Dianne is just there for solid support :) It's the Kidman/Eckhart Show.

cinephile -- but Kidman in Rabbit Hole is > than Moore in The Kids Are All Right so it's not like she's stealing the spot ;) I'm still not totally convinced that Kidman is in (it seems like the media is finally forgiving her for the crimes she's never committed but we won't know until we see if she gets nominated or not.)

Nat, don't give up on Moore (still)... while Pfeiffer seems to have retired from moviemaking (too bad), Moore is still very very busy in Hollywood and she often chooses great roles in interesting films. I suppose that, if she gets a fifth nomination, she'll have huge chances to win her long overdue Oscar (that's why, in my opinion, she didn't get the nod for "A Single Man", they knew she couldn't beat Mo'Nique). It's very very sad they don't reward more women in their 50s or 60s, but there's always some hope (just look at Helen Mirren or even Geraldine Page).

I'm desperate for Bening to win this year, I really hope this time will be the right time for her! We really don't need another shame (like the fact Glenn Close is still Oscarless). If she gets a fourth nomination, maybe some Oscar voters would remember she's highly overdue...

PS: I really don't see who could win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar this year, every contender seems to be vulnerable in some way. Maybe Amy Adams? Or maybe a lead actress contender (Lesley Manville?) will suddenly enter the race?

hmmm. i haven't thought that far yet. we;ll see. I am already desperate to see it again but i urge everyone to see it on opening night. it deserves a crowd. I'm so glad I avoided my screener and saw it in a packed house. It totally gets energy from the crowd watching it once it goes berserk.

@volvagia - I suggest you trudge through the remainder of the season and see what happens as I've found many people didn't LOVE the show until the second season began - myself included. It is terribly hard to get into at first but once you've caught the rhythm you won't regret it.